The present invention generally relates to a process for diffusing titanium and nitride into sports equipment. More specifically, a process is provided for diffusing titanium and nitride into at least a portion of sports equipment (e.g., the components of golf club or a tennis racquet) in the presence of electrolyzed titanium.
A low temperature process is preferred in that it prevents or lessens warping and twisting of the material, two disadvantages of conventional surface treatment processes. Titanium is considered a generally inert, light-weight material which has very high tensile strength (or toughness) and excellent corrosion resistance. Various materials have been used in the manufacture of sports equipment such as golf clubs, divet tools, tennis racquets, bicycles, bicycle gears, baseball bats, archery, skates, ski equipment and the like. Such materials include, but are not limited to, steel and steel alloys (e.g., carbon steel), aluminum and aluminum alloys (e.g., aluminum-titanium alloys), titanium and titanium alloys, and copper and copper alloys (e.g., copper-beryllium, copper-tin, copper-nickel-zinc).
In an effort to increase the hardness, toughness, strength, and wear resistance of the equipment, sports equipment have been surface treated. Examples of methods for treating sports equipment include electroplating, heat treatment, or nitriding processes. However, these processes are deficient in many respects, especially when being applied to sports equipment.
These processes are generally susceptible to chipping of the protective layer. Moreover, sports equipment (e.g., golf clubs, cycling or ski components), require their components to be as lightweight as possible. For example, for golf clubs, it is desired to balance the feel of the club with various resistive properties such as toughness, hardness, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance. Although they may increase the resistive properties, traditional surface treatments increase the weight of the equipment. For competitive purposes, any increase in weight, which may be a matter of grams, may dramatically impede the performance of the athlete.
Through the adding of layers, traditional processes further change the dimensions of equipment. Sports equipment (e.g., golf club heads or cycling components) are often designed in order to provide for an optimal structure, wherein any angular and/or dimensional change would greatly impede performance of that equipment (e.g., aerodynamics).
Therefore, an object of the present invention to diffuse the lightweight material, titanium and nitride, into sporting equipment without causing any dimensional change thereto. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a process for strengthening the adhesion between a sports equipment component of sports equipment with a protective layer formed by conventional surface treatments or coatings.